What happened to swine flu?

[Krypton27]

Thats it!

[Sqad]

Jake has produced an excellent precis of the past events, of which I agree entirely.

March saw an outbreak of a new type of flu which was causing deaths.
The scientists said that it was dangerous, liable to spread and a second more severe wave was forecast for the forthcoming winter.

The Government took the advice of the scientists and "fast tracked " a vaccine and bought vast quantities of tamiflu.

I agreed with the scientists and I was wrong.

The vaccine produced was of two types, one simple vaccine and one containing an additive and this "spooked the" the population who still remembered Guillon-Barre complications and the Tony Blair single or triple dose MMR and it's complications.

Why 2 different types of vaccines, the public were asking........no answer.

What have the scientists learned from this outbreak?...........NOTHING

We do not know how many H1N1 infections were present (no diagnosis being made) we do not know the efficacy of Tamiflu or the vaccine, their side effects or any signs of mutation in the virus.

How not to manage a new viral epidemic.

[Ankou]

is it a bit like the hole in the ozone that we dont really hear about any more ? has the hole been patched up ? the solution then was to ban cfcs and whatnot, but that didn't create taxes and raise money, so global wamring and climate change were found.... and this stuff could be taxed ?

[jake-the-peg]

I don't know how you come to conclude that scientists and health officials have learnt nothing from the outbreak.

Analysis of the event is doubtlessly still going on.

We do know that Tamiflu was only partially helpfull - on average it gave most people a days respite from the symptoms.

We learnt about the need to stop infected people coming to Doctor's sugerys and hospitals Emergency wards.

Many companies learnt from it. My own company has, during this winter taken on a day cleaner who's sole job is to patrol the building constantly cleaning surfaces and door handle with suitable cleaner.

I also think your reference to the supposed tripple MMR "complications" has no reliable basis in scientific fact and is there for political reasons but that's an issue for another thread.

There will be things that wen't well and things that went badly - if nothing went badly - then you would have learnt nothing.

Things that went well icluded acquiring large stocks of Tamiflu and vaccine which was ready pretty quickly without affecting the seasonal flu vaccine - that was a major achievement.

I think you may be letting your political views influence your analasys here just a bit

[Sqad]

jake //
I think you may be letting your political views influence your analasys here just a bit// What an odd statement....what are my "Political views".........I made it clear that the Government acted on the advice of the scientists.................Political?

//We do know that Tamiflu was only partially helpfull - on average it gave most people a days respite from the symptoms. //
Symptoms of what?..Viral? Bacterial?........who knows?......of no scientific value.

//We learnt about the need to stop infected people coming to Doctor's sugerys and hospitals Emergency wards. //

We already have known that, since the days of Lister and Pasteur.......nothing new there then. ///

Many companies learnt from it. My own company has, during this winter taken on a day cleaner who's sole job is to patrol the building constantly cleaning surfaces and door handle with suitable cleaner. ///

Basic antiseptic care, established well before this H1N1 outbreak.

[Sqad]

///I also think your reference to the supposed tripple MMR "complications" has no reliable basis in scientific fact and is there for political reasons but that's an issue for another thread////

I fear that you have missed my point.......I am not discussing the scientific evidence for or against single or multiple dose MMR.....I was alluding to the public perception of one kind of vaccine being safer than the alternative for prevention of the same disease process. //

Things that went well icluded acquiring large stocks of Tamiflu and vaccine which was ready pretty quickly without affecting the seasonal flu vaccine - that was a major achievement. ///

True....I have never disputed that. In years to come, it will be noted that we have absolutely no idea of the incidence of H1N1 in this "outbreak" and hence no valuable or scientific sequelae can be inferred

[bibblebub]

Panic fuelled out of all proportion by the media.

[Sqad]

jake.

http://www.dailymail....s-spent-research.html

Talking point for you.

[Krypton27]

Good response. Do you think Jake the Peg works for the government?

[tamborine]

its passed to guinea pigs